Art Resource Focus 2022

Archived Resource Focus articles 2006 - 2015
Art Resource Focus 2022

Our Resource Focus articles are a series written by some of the top art professionals in charge of visual art non-profits in the San Diego region. These organization have survived and even thrived during the COVID Pandemic. We asked them to report on the their current position and their future visions for thier organizations. Watch this space and Join our mailing list. for our eblast announcements of new articles added.

Art Resource Focus 2023

Wellness for Children Project

Wellness for Children Project

Kira Carrillo Corser’s Wellness for Children Project is a rhymes for wellness book series designed to help kids 3 to 7 and their families cope with stress, illness, and anger includes books and videos, posters, huggable stuffed animals and more.   This brings 92 items together for the first time in one place with books just published through Compassionate Arts in Action . Her Imagination Adventures feature Kira’s new series of International Healing Angel paintings. More info: WellnessforChildrenProject@gmail.com

THE PROJECT
What impact can creativity have in helping kids cope with fear, stress, and illness?

Kira Carrillo Corser is a San Diego artist nationally known for her work in health, social justice, and the environment. She just published 5 Rhymes for Wellness books featuring her writing and painting and Ron Coviello’s illustrations. This Wellness for Children Project is designed to help kids 3 to 7 years old cope with all of these issues and includes books and videos, posters, huggable stuffed animals and more. This is the first time Kira is bringing together 92 items in one place. The books include pages from her Parent/Teacher Guide with adorable rhyme stories and Healing Angel paintings and KidsZone activities.

The Wellness for Children Project Kit includes a large Storyteller Version with all 4 Rhymes for Wellness, a Breathing Adventures and one of the Imagination Adventures, plus huggable animals, videos on flash drive and more. The Wellness for Children Project includes group or individual video showings with follow up audio CD’s, books, imagination workshops, breathing puppets, etc. This work encourages relaxing breathing and “Imagination Adventures” for ways to cope with illness or stress. These Adventures feature Kira’s new series of International Healing Angel paintings.

ABOUT KIRA CARRILLO CORSER
Most people in San Diego know Kira Carrillo Corser as a social justice, health and environment artist working with communities across the country. On the world stage her art was displayed behind President Clinton speaking about healthcare on NBC and with President Carter streaming with world Human Rights Defenders. Her exhibitions include: The National Steinbeck Center, The Carter Center, the Museum of Monterey, the California Center for the Arts, and Oceanside Museum of Art (Part of SDVAN’s DNA of Creativity SeaChanges.org Exhibition in 2014)

Some may know her as the Staff Photographer at KPBT TV and Radio Station and her work with Mr. Rogers Children’s programs? What you might not know is that for over 20 years she created videos and designed workshops to use creativity in aiding kids and communities to combat stress, fear and illness. She is a a 30-year cancer survivor. When her friend’s 3-year-old was diagnosed with leukemia, Kira looked in vain for the same visualization tools she used to help herself heal. She had to take action. Now, she has just published a series of Rhymes for Wellness books through Compassionate Arts in Action.

HISTORY
Kira Corser found a tremendous need for resources to help families with young children coping with stress, pain, and illness. The Wellness for Children Project was founded by her over 20 years ago, and Kira has been designing original creative materials ever since. She continues to help empower children to help themselves relax when they are under stress with medical procedures and to visualize wellness. The project also encourages parent, teachers, and health care providers to use the video and Parent Teacher Guide to personalize each child’s experience. These efforts are sponsored by private funders and the California Wellness Foundation.

Past videos and books were in the hospitals in Monterey County, foster care center, and Jacob's House (kids with cancer) and several libraries plus screenings with healing art workshops at California State University Monterey Bay and the Unitarian Church in Monterey. Some other hospitals:   Marshfield Children's Hospital Marshfield, Wisconsin. and San Diego Children's Hospital also had copies.

FUTURE
Kira’s original film is now being edited into 8 episodes and art tutorials and interviews including a Wellness Fairytale called “The Laughing River’s Secret of Wellness.” The story features a little girl (who is sick) who goes in search of The Laughing River to learn "one of the Secrets of Wellness," but she learns that she already knows this - relaxing breathing and imagination/visualization. On her journey, she meets a grouchy bear with a sore back, a deer who is afraid but loves to dance, two bickering birds who love to sing, and of course, The Laughing River. The character costumes and songs are all original created by Kira and her talented friends from California and Georgia.

The Wellness For Children Project Parent/Teacher Guide for parents, therapists, teachers, and nurses is a large part of each book and each episode, so that siblings and others can help sustain the learning. The video fairytale script is also being made into an eBook in English and Spanish with images from the video. The Spanish translation and voice over recordings are ready to dub, so a Spanish Version (when funding to complete this is obtained) will come next. The first 8 minutes is already dubbed with puppets, so kids could watch that part in Spanish and practice their own breathing with the Spanish Language Parent/Teacher Guide on the Wellness For Children Project YouTube Channel. (access through the website or find the links in the books)

ACTION
Kira is raising money so she can donate the complete kits to places where it will do great service like children’s cancer hospitals, foster care and homeless shelters.  If anyone wants to donate they can contact Kira at WellnessForChildrenProject@gmail. com or go to the www.WellnessForChildrenProject.com website.

Kira is doing book readings in Northern California and looking for people and places to partner with her in San Diego. Contact Kira at the WellnessForChildrenProject@gmail.com

The 8” x 8” books, or 12” Storyteller Version, can be purchased by contacting Kira at the WellnessForChildrenProject@gmail.com or on the Project website.

Social Media
www.WellnessForChildrenProject.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100078779266769
www.CompassionateArts.org

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